Treatment in Hermes Stores

[Mindi B]

I certainly don't know what happened, but Mistikat's reading makes sense. My advice is to be honest when you call. Don't worry about anything except telling the truth: you love the brand, you have no access in your home country, and while of course you have bag dreams, you would be delighted to find an Evelyne or a Picotin and want to start a small collection of silks/bracelets/whatevers as well. You understand that one doesn't just request a Birkin or Kelly, and you have no expectations of obtaining one at this moment--it's a dream. If the SA can't understand THAT, he's the problem, not you. Please don't worry. This Hermes dance is weird and often unfathomable and, frankly, sort of silly. I've done it, I've been there, but I really don't think there is one right way to approach it any more than there is one type of SA. Try to relax, be yourself, and remember, THESE ARE ONLY ACCESSORIES. Your life has much more important components than these--don't let this make you unhappy. Pretty things should be fun.

 

[ana1972]

Good morning everyone, i want to share with all of you how i was treated last week in my local store (madrid), i saw some messages written about madrid, and i want to share my experience.
I am an usual client of the store, from some years ago. I am user of a birkin 35 in orange, but is too big for me, is size 35, i bought this bag 2 years ago, and never again asked for a bag.
I have an important wedding, so i wanted to have special new bag, i wanted a croco. So, i talked with my SA (Oscar) and he show me that same day a croco, but it was in brown colour and i did not like it, so he told me he was doing to do the best for me......i was waiting for almost one month, i did not know anything from him, so i visited the store, and he told me it was going to be hard to get it before the weding, but he told me he had reservation of 2 bags for me to choose in normal leather, those were in blue and red, for one part i was frustated because i wanted the croco, but for other part, i had the possibility to choose a new bag, i needed to talk with my dressmaker because i did not know wich one will fit better with my new dress for wedding, so Oscar promised me to keep both for 2 days, these bags were on smaller size as Oscar knew i was not using my old bag because is too heavy.
Well, after 2 days i went to pick up my bag, i was so excited about it. When i arrived at the store i was said that sorry, but the red one had been sold already, grrrrrrrrrr, thanks God i had choosen the blue one. Oscar went for the bag, and when he come he showed it to me, and it was a big bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he knew perfectly i wanted a small size, i was dissapointed, so, i asked him, please, you knew i wanted a croco, was waiting for it, i say ok to normal leather, but i want a bag to use it, and the orange i have, i almost dont use it because is too heavy.....he told me sorry, but is the one we have now. I was in shock, so i told him i was going home (it was almost lunch time) and that the same afternoon i will tell him if i would buy it or not, after hearing this from me i saw in his eyes that he felt really angry, and then told me the next: I have made a big effort to get this bag for you, you have jumped the big waiting list because you were going to buy a bracalet in gold with bag, but now, i need to talk with my manager, because if you dont buy that gold bracalet, my manager will not want to sell this bag for you. What??????? i told him that next winter i was going to buy that bracalet for my niece, but he knew that will be in winter!!!!!!!!
Of cource i did not buy the bag, i dont like to be blackmailed, and i will buy what i want when i want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my God, i have the same SA than you....i have not gone back to store after he told me i need to go more often and buy much more to have the luck to buy a Birkin. Of course they are the ones who make the decission to which ones they sell or not, but, after reading what happened with you, definitely i will not go back to that store, thanks we have two in Madrid, so, i am going to start to visit the second one.

 

[Nankali]

Dear Mindi, so kind of you to join in!
Thank you for your good advice. I didn't have the opportunity to read your post before I made the call but I did the exact what you said! And the response was very kind (well, you can't know what they REALLY think, not in the first place nor now when I tried to explain). He told me they didn't have the colors I wanted in the stock but the orange Evelyn on my wish list might be there very very soon.

So I guess everything is good, right? I mean he wouldn't have had offered me anything at all if he still had concerns about me or my purpose here.
Well, let's see, but I hope I just might be getting a pretty happy color Evelyne in my collection pretty soon! :happy dance:

I certainly don't know what happened, but Mistikat's reading makes sense. My advice is to be honest when you call. Don't worry about anything except telling the truth: you love the brand, you have no access in your home country, and while of course you have bag dreams, you would be delighted to find an Evelyne or a Picotin and want to start a small collection of silks/bracelets/whatevers as well. You understand that one doesn't just request a Birkin or Kelly, and you have no expectations of obtaining one at this moment--it's a dream. If the SA can't understand THAT, he's the problem, not you. Please don't worry. This Hermes dance is weird and often unfathomable and, frankly, sort of silly. I've done it, I've been there, but I really don't think there is one right way to approach it any more than there is one type of SA. Try to relax, be yourself, and remember, THESE ARE ONLY ACCESSORIES. Your life has much more important components than these--don't let this make you unhappy. Pretty things should be fun.

 

[Mindi B]

I'm so glad! Sounds like you handled this just fine, and I hope your Evy appears quickly!

 

[newbiebag]

I've been a long time admirer for Hermes since I was 17 years old and that was many moons ago. I've never visited their shops because Pennsylvania doesn't have a physical bouquet. Well, I moved recently and my new location has a H boutique! I decided to drop by during lunch break for a clic H bracelet. The intention was to get to know a SA, open an account, and eventually get a Birkin 25cm.

Setting the scene:
I drove up to their store in hospital scrubs, no makeup, hair in messy pony tail, glasses, and riding my trusty toyota camry.

Parking Lot:
I saw only Mercedes and BMWs.

Store Entrance:
As soon as I walked into the store, 6 personal stopped talking and just stared at me. It was as if they saw a creature that crawled out of the swamp.

Inside: I saw a smiling face in the crowd. I asked if he can show me where the Clic H bracelets were located. He asked what size, and I said, "I don't know." Mind you, I've read about the brand for over a decade and I knew that I wore a PM. It's like once I stepped foot in that store, I had a out of body experience. Like the first time you went to disneyworld as a kid. The SA looked at my hand and said, "Yes, a PM for sure." I just nodded and followed him. In my head, I was like, lead me away glorious man!

I don't even remember what was said, but I vaguely remember only one word responses from me. My mind went completely blank. SA: What colors were you looking for? Me: White. SA: I'm guessing Gold hardware? Me: Yes. Would you like to try on any other color: No thank you. I finally snapped into a state of consciousness when he bought out the CDC bracelets. We talked about bags and leathers after that and how hard it would be for me to get a Birkin 25cm since he has only seen one in the last 4 years. He was concerned that a 25cm would be too small? He kept saying, are you sure? It's only that size of that toolbox over there, pointing to one in the display case. I said that size would be perfect. He asked if I had ever considered a 30cm and I said, I had the lux tote in that size and it's too big for me. So he made an account and wrote my info down when I made the purchase. He did advise me to buy more items to boost my chances of getting that bag which is understandable. My SA was really helpful, down to earth, honest about his opinions, informative, kind, polite, patient, just a wonderful person. I was even more surprise to discover that he was a selling supervisor. I thought those people would be more pretentious and snooty. I didn't feel judged or any of the things I've heard about here on the forum. This makes me like the brand even more!

Overall, the experience was great. I'm stopping by the store again today to get my price adjustment on my bracelet. Would it increase my chances of getting the big B if I buy so little and ask for a price adjustment? Probably not. :/ But money is money and that money is being put into more Hermes products!

 

[LadySummerRose]

I've been a long time admirer for Hermes since I was 17 years old and that was many moons ago. I've never visited their shops because Pennsylvania doesn't have a physical bouquet. Well, I moved recently and my new location has a H boutique! I decided to drop by during lunch break for a clic H bracelet. The intention was to get to know a SA, open an account, and eventually get a Birkin 25cm.

Setting the scene:
I drove up to their store in hospital scrubs, no makeup, hair in messy pony tail, glasses, and riding my trusty toyota camry.

Parking Lot:
I saw only Mercedes and BMWs.

Store Entrance:
As soon as I walked into the store, 6 personal stopped talking and just stared at me. It was as if they saw a creature that crawled out of the swamp.

Inside: I saw a smiling face in the crowd. I asked if he can show me where the Clic H bracelets were located. He asked what size, and I said, "I don't know." Mind you, I've read about the brand for over a decade and I knew that I wore a PM. It's like once I stepped foot in that store, I had a out of body experience. Like the first time you went to disneyworld as a kid. The SA looked at my hand and said, "Yes, a PM for sure." I just nodded and followed him. In my head, I was like, lead me away glorious man!

I don't even remember what was said, but I vaguely remember only one word responses from me. My mind went completely blank. SA: What colors were you looking for? Me: White. SA: I'm guessing Gold hardware? Me: Yes. Would you like to try on any other color: No thank you. I finally snapped into a state of consciousness when he bought out the CDC bracelets. We talked about bags and leathers after that and how hard it would be for me to get a Birkin 25cm since he has only seen one in the last 4 years. He was concerned that a 25cm would be too small? He kept saying, are you sure? It's only that size of that toolbox over there, pointing to one in the display case. I said that size would be perfect. He asked if I had ever considered a 30cm and I said, I had the lux tote in that size and it's too big for me. So he made an account and wrote my info down when I made the purchase. He did advise me to buy more items to boost my chances of getting that bag which is understandable. My SA was really helpful, down to earth, honest about his opinions, informative, kind, polite, patient, just a wonderful person. I was even more surprise to discover that he was a selling supervisor. I thought those people would be more pretentious and snooty. I didn't feel judged or any of the things I've heard about here on the forum. This makes me like the brand even more!

Overall, the experience was great. I'm stopping by the store again today to get my price adjustment on my bracelet. Would it increase my chances of getting the big B if I buy so little and ask for a price adjustment? Probably not. :/ But money is money and that money is being put into more Hermes products!

I am so glad ur experience was overall great.. Who knows you might buy more stuff today hehe

 

[lynne_ross]

I've been a long time admirer for Hermes since I was 17 years old and that was many moons ago. I've never visited their shops because Pennsylvania doesn't have a physical bouquet. Well, I moved recently and my new location has a H boutique! I decided to drop by during lunch break for a clic H bracelet. The intention was to get to know a SA, open an account, and eventually get a Birkin 25cm.

Setting the scene:
I drove up to their store in hospital scrubs, no makeup, hair in messy pony tail, glasses, and riding my trusty toyota camry.

Parking Lot:
I saw only Mercedes and BMWs.

Store Entrance:
As soon as I walked into the store, 6 personal stopped talking and just stared at me. It was as if they saw a creature that crawled out of the swamp.

Inside: I saw a smiling face in the crowd. I asked if he can show me where the Clic H bracelets were located. He asked what size, and I said, "I don't know." Mind you, I've read about the brand for over a decade and I knew that I wore a PM. It's like once I stepped foot in that store, I had a out of body experience. Like the first time you went to disneyworld as a kid. The SA looked at my hand and said, "Yes, a PM for sure." I just nodded and followed him. In my head, I was like, lead me away glorious man!

I don't even remember what was said, but I vaguely remember only one word responses from me. My mind went completely blank. SA: What colors were you looking for? Me: White. SA: I'm guessing Gold hardware? Me: Yes. Would you like to try on any other color: No thank you. I finally snapped into a state of consciousness when he bought out the CDC bracelets. We talked about bags and leathers after that and how hard it would be for me to get a Birkin 25cm since he has only seen one in the last 4 years. He was concerned that a 25cm would be too small? He kept saying, are you sure? It's only that size of that toolbox over there, pointing to one in the display case. I said that size would be perfect. He asked if I had ever considered a 30cm and I said, I had the lux tote in that size and it's too big for me. So he made an account and wrote my info down when I made the purchase. He did advise me to buy more items to boost my chances of getting that bag which is understandable. My SA was really helpful, down to earth, honest about his opinions, informative, kind, polite, patient, just a wonderful person. I was even more surprise to discover that he was a selling supervisor. I thought those people would be more pretentious and snooty. I didn't feel judged or any of the things I've heard about here on the forum. This makes me like the brand even more!

Overall, the experience was great. I'm stopping by the store again today to get my price adjustment on my bracelet. Would it increase my chances of getting the big B if I buy so little and ask for a price adjustment? Probably not. :/ But money is money and that money is being put into more Hermes products!

I am happy to hear you had such a great experience. I shop at a Hermes where I feel the staff are super nice and helpful to every customer that walks in the door, regardless of appearance.

 

[MSO13]

I've been a long time admirer for Hermes since I was 17 years old and that was many moons ago. I've never visited their shops because Pennsylvania doesn't have a physical bouquet. Well, I moved recently and my new location has a H boutique! I decided to drop by during lunch break for a clic H bracelet. The intention was to get to know a SA, open an account, and eventually get a Birkin 25cm.

Setting the scene:
I drove up to their store in hospital scrubs, no makeup, hair in messy pony tail, glasses, and riding my trusty toyota camry.

Parking Lot:
I saw only Mercedes and BMWs.

Store Entrance:
As soon as I walked into the store, 6 personal stopped talking and just stared at me. It was as if they saw a creature that crawled out of the swamp.

Inside: I saw a smiling face in the crowd. I asked if he can show me where the Clic H bracelets were located. He asked what size, and I said, "I don't know." Mind you, I've read about the brand for over a decade and I knew that I wore a PM. It's like once I stepped foot in that store, I had a out of body experience. Like the first time you went to disneyworld as a kid. The SA looked at my hand and said, "Yes, a PM for sure." I just nodded and followed him. In my head, I was like, lead me away glorious man!

I don't even remember what was said, but I vaguely remember only one word responses from me. My mind went completely blank. SA: What colors were you looking for? Me: White. SA: I'm guessing Gold hardware? Me: Yes. Would you like to try on any other color: No thank you. I finally snapped into a state of consciousness when he bought out the CDC bracelets. We talked about bags and leathers after that and how hard it would be for me to get a Birkin 25cm since he has only seen one in the last 4 years. He was concerned that a 25cm would be too small? He kept saying, are you sure? It's only that size of that toolbox over there, pointing to one in the display case. I said that size would be perfect. He asked if I had ever considered a 30cm and I said, I had the lux tote in that size and it's too big for me. So he made an account and wrote my info down when I made the purchase. He did advise me to buy more items to boost my chances of getting that bag which is understandable. My SA was really helpful, down to earth, honest about his opinions, informative, kind, polite, patient, just a wonderful person. I was even more surprise to discover that he was a selling supervisor. I thought those people would be more pretentious and snooty. I didn't feel judged or any of the things I've heard about here on the forum. This makes me like the brand even more!

Overall, the experience was great. I'm stopping by the store again today to get my price adjustment on my bracelet. Would it increase my chances of getting the big B if I buy so little and ask for a price adjustment? Probably not. :/ But money is money and that money is being put into more Hermes products!

I'm glad you had a great experience but just want to say there is a company owned Hermes boutique in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

 

[Mininana]

Good morning everyone, i want to share with all of you how i was treated last week in my local store (madrid), i saw some messages written about madrid, and i want to share my experience.
I am an usual client of the store, from some years ago. I am user of a birkin 35 in orange, but is too big for me, is size 35, i bought this bag 2 years ago, and never again asked for a bag.
I have an important wedding, so i wanted to have special new bag, i wanted a croco. So, i talked with my SA (Oscar) and he show me that same day a croco, but it was in brown colour and i did not like it, so he told me he was doing to do the best for me......i was waiting for almost one month, i did not know anything from him, so i visited the store, and he told me it was going to be hard to get it before the weding, but he told me he had reservation of 2 bags for me to choose in normal leather, those were in blue and red, for one part i was frustated because i wanted the croco, but for other part, i had the possibility to choose a new bag, i needed to talk with my dressmaker because i did not know wich one will fit better with my new dress for wedding, so Oscar promised me to keep both for 2 days, these bags were on smaller size as Oscar knew i was not using my old bag because is too heavy.
Well, after 2 days i went to pick up my bag, i was so excited about it. When i arrived at the store i was said that sorry, but the red one had been sold already, grrrrrrrrrr, thanks God i had choosen the blue one. Oscar went for the bag, and when he come he showed it to me, and it was a big bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he knew perfectly i wanted a small size, i was dissapointed, so, i asked him, please, you knew i wanted a croco, was waiting for it, i say ok to normal leather, but i want a bag to use it, and the orange i have, i almost dont use it because is too heavy.....he told me sorry, but is the one we have now. I was in shock, so i told him i was going home (it was almost lunch time) and that the same afternoon i will tell him if i would buy it or not, after hearing this from me i saw in his eyes that he felt really angry, and then told me the next: I have made a big effort to get this bag for you, you have jumped the big waiting list because you were going to buy a bracalet in gold with bag, but now, i need to talk with my manager, because if you dont buy that gold bracalet, my manager will not want to sell this bag for you. What??????? i told him that next winter i was going to buy that bracalet for my niece, but he knew that will be in winter!!!!!!!!
Of cource i did not buy the bag, i dont like to be blackmailed, and i will buy what i want when i want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sorry to hear about this! So rude!!! Hoping he makes it right for you.. or else it might be best to switch SA or try to go to another store. I'm going to the Barcelona one soon... I hope I can get my B/K there!!

 

[newbiebag]

I'm glad you had a great experience but just want to say there is a company owned Hermes boutique in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

You are absolutely correct! PA does not have a Chanel boutique, hence, I drive to Cleveland Ohio to do my shopping. I don't know why all these years, I thought PA also doesn't have a Hermes location as well. :/

I am so glad ur experience was overall great.. Who knows you might buy more stuff today hehe

Today, I planned to walked directly back to the cashier location to get my price adjustment. However, I didn't even make it 10 steps pass the entrance before one of the SA jumped up and asked, "May I help you?" The phase was polite, but his tone was more like, "Where do you think you're going?" I said, I'm here to a get a price adjustment for a recent purchase. He looked shocked and said, "I'm sorry, what?!" I said in a very small voice, "I'm here for a price adjustment on a recent purchase" and handed him my receipt and ID. He looked at it and then told me to wait while he check something and left. When he returned he asked for my CC. I handed him my card and started to browse around the store. Then he returned and walked me to the cashier. The whole thing seems very "hush hush."

There I saw my nice SA who finished the refund. As usually, my SA was super nice. I asked him if he had a green card holder and a green Ulysses notebook in stock. He looked everywhere, but couldn't find anything in green. Then I asked him about the TPM garden party in etoupe that was on display. I asked my sis what she thought and she said, it's "OK. Don't get it if you have your heart set on the birkin." My SA asked why I wanted the garden party all of a sudden since I was dead set on the Birkin 25cm just a few weeks ago. I honestly told him that the odds of me obtaining the Birkin 25cm is so slim since in the last 4 years, he's only seen 1 bag in that size. Last time I was in the store, they had 1 TPM garden party in black. But I don't like black bags so I'm super excited to see the Etoupe. Also, I'm a relatively new customer to the store, I've bought 1 bracelet, so the odds of me getting the big B 25cm seems impossible since it's so rare. I might as well buy the TPM garden party in Etoupe since it's in a small size and in the color that I like. He must have seen my disappointment cause he told me that since the 25cm Birkins are in higher demand recently, chances are they will come in sooner than I think because the store are ordering more of them.

Fingers crossed! I hope they get one in a neutral color soon. In the meantime, I'll drop by often to check out their small leather good section!

 

[intltraveler]

You are absolutely correct! PA does not have a Chanel boutique, hence, I drive to Cleveland Ohio to do my shopping. I don't know why all these years, I thought PA also doesn't have a Hermes location as well. :/



Today, I planned to walked directly back to the cashier location to get my price adjustment. However, I didn't even make it 10 steps pass the entrance before one of the SA jumped up and asked, "May I help you?" The phase was polite, but his tone was more like, "Where do you think you're going?" I said, I'm here to a get a price adjustment for a recent purchase. He looked shocked and said, "I'm sorry, what?!" I said in a very small voice, "I'm here for a price adjustment on a recent purchase" and handed him my receipt and ID. He looked at it and then told me to wait while he check something and left. When he returned he asked for my CC. I handed him my card and started to browse around the store. Then he returned and walked me to the cashier. The whole thing seems very "hush hush."

There I saw my nice SA who finished the refund. As usually, my SA was super nice. I asked him if he had a green card holder and a green Ulysses notebook in stock. He looked everywhere, but couldn't find anything in green. Then I asked him about the TPM garden party in etoupe that was on display. I asked my sis what she thought and she said, it's "OK. Don't get it if you have your heart set on the birkin." My SA asked why I wanted the garden party all of a sudden since I was dead set on the Birkin 25cm just a few weeks ago. I honestly told him that the odds of me obtaining the Birkin 25cm is so slim since in the last 4 years, he's only seen 1 bag in that size. Last time I was in the store, they had 1 TPM garden party in black. But I don't like black bags so I'm super excited to see the Etoupe. Also, I'm a relatively new customer to the store, I've bought 1 bracelet, so the odds of me getting the big B 25cm seems impossible since it's so rare. I might as well buy the TPM garden party in Etoupe since it's in a small size and in the color that I like. He must have seen my disappointment cause he told me that since the 25cm Birkins are in higher demand recently, chances are they will come in sooner than I think because the store are ordering more of them.

Fingers crossed! I hope they get one in a neutral color soon. In the meantime, I'll drop by often to check out their small leather good section!

What is a price adjustment and how do you get one?

 

[mistikat]

What is a price adjustment and how do you get one?

See this thread:

http://forum.purseblog.com/hermes-shopping/price-decrease-909653.html

 

[Moirai]

I've been a long time admirer for Hermes since I was 17 years old and that was many moons ago. I've never visited their shops because Pennsylvania doesn't have a physical bouquet. Well, I moved recently and my new location has a H boutique! I decided to drop by during lunch break for a clic H bracelet. The intention was to get to know a SA, open an account, and eventually get a Birkin 25cm.

Setting the scene:
I drove up to their store in hospital scrubs, no makeup, hair in messy pony tail, glasses, and riding my trusty toyota camry.

Parking Lot:
I saw only Mercedes and BMWs.

Store Entrance:
As soon as I walked into the store, 6 personal stopped talking and just stared at me. It was as if they saw a creature that crawled out of the swamp.

Inside: I saw a smiling face in the crowd. I asked if he can show me where the Clic H bracelets were located. He asked what size, and I said, "I don't know." Mind you, I've read about the brand for over a decade and I knew that I wore a PM. It's like once I stepped foot in that store, I had a out of body experience. Like the first time you went to disneyworld as a kid. The SA looked at my hand and said, "Yes, a PM for sure." I just nodded and followed him. In my head, I was like, lead me away glorious man!

I don't even remember what was said, but I vaguely remember only one word responses from me. My mind went completely blank. SA: What colors were you looking for? Me: White. SA: I'm guessing Gold hardware? Me: Yes. Would you like to try on any other color: No thank you. I finally snapped into a state of consciousness when he bought out the CDC bracelets. We talked about bags and leathers after that and how hard it would be for me to get a Birkin 25cm since he has only seen one in the last 4 years. He was concerned that a 25cm would be too small? He kept saying, are you sure? It's only that size of that toolbox over there, pointing to one in the display case. I said that size would be perfect. He asked if I had ever considered a 30cm and I said, I had the lux tote in that size and it's too big for me. So he made an account and wrote my info down when I made the purchase. He did advise me to buy more items to boost my chances of getting that bag which is understandable. My SA was really helpful, down to earth, honest about his opinions, informative, kind, polite, patient, just a wonderful person. I was even more surprise to discover that he was a selling supervisor. I thought those people would be more pretentious and snooty. I didn't feel judged or any of the things I've heard about here on the forum. This makes me like the brand even more!

Overall, the experience was great. I'm stopping by the store again today to get my price adjustment on my bracelet. Would it increase my chances of getting the big B if I buy so little and ask for a price adjustment? Probably not. :/ But money is money and that money is being put into more Hermes products!

You are absolutely correct! PA does not have a Chanel boutique, hence, I drive to Cleveland Ohio to do my shopping. I don't know why all these years, I thought PA also doesn't have a Hermes location as well. :/



Today, I planned to walked directly back to the cashier location to get my price adjustment. However, I didn't even make it 10 steps pass the entrance before one of the SA jumped up and asked, "May I help you?" The phase was polite, but his tone was more like, "Where do you think you're going?" I said, I'm here to a get a price adjustment for a recent purchase. He looked shocked and said, "I'm sorry, what?!" I said in a very small voice, "I'm here for a price adjustment on a recent purchase" and handed him my receipt and ID. He looked at it and then told me to wait while he check something and left. When he returned he asked for my CC. I handed him my card and started to browse around the store. Then he returned and walked me to the cashier. The whole thing seems very "hush hush."

There I saw my nice SA who finished the refund. As usually, my SA was super nice. I asked him if he had a green card holder and a green Ulysses notebook in stock. He looked everywhere, but couldn't find anything in green. Then I asked him about the TPM garden party in etoupe that was on display. I asked my sis what she thought and she said, it's "OK. Don't get it if you have your heart set on the birkin." My SA asked why I wanted the garden party all of a sudden since I was dead set on the Birkin 25cm just a few weeks ago. I honestly told him that the odds of me obtaining the Birkin 25cm is so slim since in the last 4 years, he's only seen 1 bag in that size. Last time I was in the store, they had 1 TPM garden party in black. But I don't like black bags so I'm super excited to see the Etoupe. Also, I'm a relatively new customer to the store, I've bought 1 bracelet, so the odds of me getting the big B 25cm seems impossible since it's so rare. I might as well buy the TPM garden party in Etoupe since it's in a small size and in the color that I like. He must have seen my disappointment cause he told me that since the 25cm Birkins are in higher demand recently, chances are they will come in sooner than I think because the store are ordering more of them.

Fingers crossed! I hope they get one in a neutral color soon. In the meantime, I'll drop by often to check out their small leather good section!

Great story. Walking into Hermes or any high end boutique can be daunting. I applaud your SA who seems genuinely nice and I hope he will help you get your B.

 

[hermes_lemming]

Good morning everyone, i want to share with all of you how i was treated last week in my local store (madrid), i saw some messages written about madrid, and i want to share my experience.
I am an usual client of the store, from some years ago. I am user of a birkin 35 in orange, but is too big for me, is size 35, i bought this bag 2 years ago, and never again asked for a bag.
I have an important wedding, so i wanted to have special new bag, i wanted a croco. So, i talked with my SA (Oscar) and he show me that same day a croco, but it was in brown colour and i did not like it, so he told me he was doing to do the best for me......i was waiting for almost one month, i did not know anything from him, so i visited the store, and he told me it was going to be hard to get it before the weding, but he told me he had reservation of 2 bags for me to choose in normal leather, those were in blue and red, for one part i was frustated because i wanted the croco, but for other part, i had the possibility to choose a new bag, i needed to talk with my dressmaker because i did not know wich one will fit better with my new dress for wedding, so Oscar promised me to keep both for 2 days, these bags were on smaller size as Oscar knew i was not using my old bag because is too heavy.
Well, after 2 days i went to pick up my bag, i was so excited about it. When i arrived at the store i was said that sorry, but the red one had been sold already, grrrrrrrrrr, thanks God i had choosen the blue one. Oscar went for the bag, and when he come he showed it to me, and it was a big bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he knew perfectly i wanted a small size, i was dissapointed, so, i asked him, please, you knew i wanted a croco, was waiting for it, i say ok to normal leather, but i want a bag to use it, and the orange i have, i almost dont use it because is too heavy.....he told me sorry, but is the one we have now. I was in shock, so i told him i was going home (it was almost lunch time) and that the same afternoon i will tell him if i would buy it or not, after hearing this from me i saw in his eyes that he felt really angry, and then told me the next: I have made a big effort to get this bag for you, you have jumped the big waiting list because you were going to buy a bracalet in gold with bag, but now, i need to talk with my manager, because if you dont buy that gold bracalet, my manager will not want to sell this bag for you. What??????? i told him that next winter i was going to buy that bracalet for my niece, but he knew that will be in winter!!!!!!!!
Of cource i did not buy the bag, i dont like to be blackmailed, and i will buy what i want when i want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear ladies, I have a small puzzle for you. I have turned this situation around and around I can't figure out what went wrong..

Ok, here is a bit background info first. I don't have the luxury & luck to have H store in my country (but I do have this lovely community and the world's best re-seller who I totally trust ). However, I have a dear friend who just moved back to a country with one H store. I thought I would try to build some relationship with that store through my friend. And she was kind to visit the store on my behalf (she is a LV girl herself), to try to get a bag for me.

I had prepared the situation a bit because my friend doesn't know anything about H. I called to the store and talked with this male SA who sounded very nice and helpful. He told me that I could give a wish list (yes, a wish list) to my friend and she could come to the store with it so he could see what he can do for me. He said they had some bags in the color I was interested in. He also understood the difficulty I have living in a country without H store.

So, I gave a list to my friend. It included two B´s,two Kellys, an Evelyne and a PIcotin plus a clic clac. Of course it was a wish list, so I was hoping there would be one or two of these items I could have the possibility to buy. NOT the whole list at one time.
I have done my home work and read the tips from this forum, so I thought I would now do everything RIGHT. I also added my current collection for the SA to read (very small, few GM shawls, wallet and a necklace beside of few bags). My whole intention was to show him I wasn't just after a Kelly or a Birkin, but have his more "holistic & profound" understanding of the fine world of Hermes ( ).
My friend asked for advice how to dress or what to say/not say in the store. I just told her to be herself, nothing more or less. I had just read the post from another member who had the info from SA that around 70% of the clients in the store are usually re-sellers. So I didn't want my friend trying to be something else which could be interpreted as a fake act and perhaps she would be considered as a re-seller.

So she went to the store. She told me her heart was beating because she was stressed she would do something wrong (at this point I was amused because it IS a bit funny we have to go through so much for this brand, yes an amazing brand, but still..). But the store was quite empty and she found the right SA easily. He was as kind as on the phone and they chatted for a while and my friend told me she wasn't stressed anymore. She felt there was a good connection between her and the SA. But then she handed him the phone with my wishlist...
... and she told me his attitude changed in a second.

He had read my txt msg carefully, said "oh-la-laa". His face was a bit more serious now and he had talked briefly with couple of other SA's. To my friend he told that he would go quickly to check something from the store, then went to another room, checked his computer. To my friend he said that they would not have anything on the list and that he will send info by email to explain how to order a bag. And my friend wen out from the store, feeling very confused.

As was I when she phoned me and described the whole situation. She emphasized that the whole attitude of this SA had changed when he saw my wish list. I can't figure out WHY. First, he asked me to do a wish list. I do it, with few bags (not like tens of them), smaller accessories included, and I also try to show I am not just after a BIrkin.

My dear PF'ers, can you tell me what I did wrong here? Or have we both interpreted the situation somehow wrong..

Asking for what you want right away is in no way building a relationship. Especially with a wish list that extensive. The staff might have found it a bit off putting. I suggest going there yourself or finding another boutique and perhaps just asking for one item vs the entire kitchen sink.

I've been a long time admirer for Hermes since I was 17 years old and that was many moons ago. I've never visited their shops because Pennsylvania doesn't have a physical bouquet. Well, I moved recently and my new location has a H boutique! I decided to drop by during lunch break for a clic H bracelet. The intention was to get to know a SA, open an account, and eventually get a Birkin 25cm.

Setting the scene:
I drove up to their store in hospital scrubs, no makeup, hair in messy pony tail, glasses, and riding my trusty toyota camry.

Parking Lot:
I saw only Mercedes and BMWs.

Store Entrance:
As soon as I walked into the store, 6 personal stopped talking and just stared at me. It was as if they saw a creature that crawled out of the swamp.

Inside: I saw a smiling face in the crowd. I asked if he can show me where the Clic H bracelets were located. He asked what size, and I said, "I don't know." Mind you, I've read about the brand for over a decade and I knew that I wore a PM. It's like once I stepped foot in that store, I had a out of body experience. Like the first time you went to disneyworld as a kid. The SA looked at my hand and said, "Yes, a PM for sure." I just nodded and followed him. In my head, I was like, lead me away glorious man!

I don't even remember what was said, but I vaguely remember only one word responses from me. My mind went completely blank. SA: What colors were you looking for? Me: White. SA: I'm guessing Gold hardware? Me: Yes. Would you like to try on any other color: No thank you. I finally snapped into a state of consciousness when he bought out the CDC bracelets. We talked about bags and leathers after that and how hard it would be for me to get a Birkin 25cm since he has only seen one in the last 4 years. He was concerned that a 25cm would be too small? He kept saying, are you sure? It's only that size of that toolbox over there, pointing to one in the display case. I said that size would be perfect. He asked if I had ever considered a 30cm and I said, I had the lux tote in that size and it's too big for me. So he made an account and wrote my info down when I made the purchase. He did advise me to buy more items to boost my chances of getting that bag which is understandable. My SA was really helpful, down to earth, honest about his opinions, informative, kind, polite, patient, just a wonderful person. I was even more surprise to discover that he was a selling supervisor. I thought those people would be more pretentious and snooty. I didn't feel judged or any of the things I've heard about here on the forum. This makes me like the brand even more!

Overall, the experience was great. I'm stopping by the store again today to get my price adjustment on my bracelet. Would it increase my chances of getting the big B if I buy so little and ask for a price adjustment? Probably not. :/ But money is money and that money is being put into more Hermes products!

I liked everything except him pointing out you should buy more to increase the likelihood of getting said bag

I'm going to the Barcelona one soon... I hope I can get my B/K there!!

Good luck, doll!

 

[newbiebag]

I liked everything except him pointing out you should buy more to increase the likelihood of getting said bag

Don't hate the playa, hate the game! Hahahaha, I think he was just being honest about how things ran at Hermes. I think his exact phase was something like, "We reserve those bags for our regular loyal clients." which I interpreted as "we will show you one when you've bought regularly from our store." After I got my price adjustment, he was like, "oh you got money back!" and I said, "yes, for more Hermes items! " He replied, "would you like to get another bracelet?" He wasn't pushy at all, more like suggestive. I can tell that he wanted me to make another purchase that day. I think the Hermes game will always exist on some level. At least at this stage, they're more transparent with their intention. It's their way of balancing the supply & demand and also still keep the allure and exclusivity of their brand. However, it's my money so I'm going to choose on which level I would like to participate.

I do want another bracelet, but I wanted it in a gray shade which they won't carry until fall/winter so I told him I need to wait on that. I planned to get a card holder because I needed something for my CC and ID that would fit neatly in my scrubs. Also a Ulysses notebook because I'm old school and still needs to physically write down notes. It just happened that they didn't carry the green color that I liked. He suggested all sorts of color, gold, orange, red, blue, etc. I told him that I want to buy things that I'll use and appreciate, I just don't like getting things for the sake of the Brand. Personally, Hermes has a range of items that are practical enough for me to use everyday, so I don't feel the need to buy just anything to build up an account. Since I live close to the store, I can always come back and my SA has my cell number. He can call me when my items come in.

I don't think if I spent thousands in one day, magically a 25cm Birkin will appear. However, I do think once I own my first Birkin, it would be easier to get a second one. A causally dressed lady came in with a gorgeous 30cm Rouge H Birkin and they showered her with attention, showing this and that bag. I don't think she bought anything in the end, but she sure did get the royal treatment! Hahahaha